Weekend Quick Cryptic 145 - Solution

Phil Jordan, Sawbill and I are continuing to produce our series of Weekend Quick Cryptic crosswords. We take turns, publishing one a fortnight, and this week it's my turn. 

You can find a link to the crossword here and the answers below.  Feel free to leave any comments or questions here as you would do on  TfTT .  You can find an index to the complete series of crosswords here. 

Before looking at the answers, if you would like some additional help, click the label below.

Hints and tips...

Here are a few hints and tips.

Yes it was published on that day, but the title "Boxing Day" is perhaps a little misleading. Did you find the thematic elements (marked in red in the parsings below)? 

• In 1A "pronounced" is a homophone indicator and think spring months for "spring".
• In 10A the old measure is of length.
• In 16A Dumb Blonde is the titel of a song.
• Both "intermittently" and "regularly" are alternate letter indicators.
• In 21D you need to separate "storm hitting".

And click on this label to get the solution.

Solution and explanation of the answers...

The crossword contains 10 boxing references, including 6 of the 9 weight classifications.

Definitions  underlined in bold italics , ( Abc )* indicating anagram of Abc,{deletions} and [] other indicators.

Across
1 Ancient pronounced spring recipe rather starchy (3-7)
OLD-MAIDISH – OLD (ancient) + MAIDISH sounds like [pronounced] MAY DISH (spring recipe).
8 Mike replaces first of reversals in puzzle that's intermediate (6)
MIDDLE – M (Mike in the phonetic alphabet) replaces R (first letter of reversals) in {R}IDDLE (puzzle).
9 Astonished how final character announces their identity? (6)
AMAZED – AM A ZED (how final character announces their identity).
10 Old measure's associated with British inventor (4)
BELL – B (British) ELL (old measure of length). Ell is a former measure of length (equivalent to six hand breadths) used mainly for textiles, locally variable but typically about 45 inches in England and 37 inches in Scotland.
11 Leash may upset terrier (8)
SEALYHAM – (leash may)* [upset].
12 Outlaw Scotsman's little chicken (6)
BANTAM – BAN (outlaw) TAM (Scotsman – Scottish version of Tom)
14 Topless, feel the heat in a state of confusion (6)
WELTER – {s}WELTER (feel the heat) without it’s first letter, [topless].
16 Crazy Dumb Blonde singer receives Portuguese greeting (8)
DOOLALLY – OLA (Portuguese greeting) in DOLLY (Dolly Parton, singer of the song Dumb Blonde).
18 Duke is seen in paper (4)
FIST – IS in FT (Financial Times; paper). As in “Put your dukes up”.
20 Tonnage of Westervelt's first racing boat (6)
WEIGHT – First letter of Westervelt (am American ship-builder) + EIGHT (rowing racing boat).
21 One who fled corrupt regime (6)
ÉMIGRÉ – [corrupt] (regime).
22 "Let it snow" played around first of November in Hollywood (10)
TINSELTOWN – First letter of November in (let it snow)* [played].
 
Down
2 French region's tradition enthrals your setter (5)
LOIRE – I (your setter) in LORE (tradition).
3 Where waders can be found in intermittently mouldy apartment (3,4)
MUD FLAT – Alternate letters of MoUlDy + FLAT (apartment).
4 Reserve in case of emergency (3)
ICE – Double definition, the second the second the standard abbreviation of the phrase.
5 Up against it somewhat with fingerprint lifted inside (2,1,3,3)
IN A BAD WAY – DAB (fingerprint) reversed, [lifted], -> BAD, in IN A WAY (somewhat).
6 Like lead or another sort of metal (5)
HEAVY -Double definition, the second referring to the rock music genre
7 Watch out for wee Rab misbehaving (6)
BEWARE – (wee Rab)* [misbehaving].
11 Son, an unruly child, left school a dullard (9)
SIMPLETON – S (son) + IMP (unruly child) + L (left) + ETON (school).
13 Estuarine bird's eggs lifted by cheats regularly (6)
AVOCET – OVA (eggs) [lifted] -> AVO, and alternate letters [regularly] of ChEaTs.
15 Maybe socialist went first (7)
LEFTIST - LEFT (went) + IST (1^ST, first).
17 A clue for "window" (5)
LIGHT – Double definition.
19 It can be used to suck lumps up (5)
STRAW – WARTS (lumps) [up] -> STRAW.
21 Centre of storm hitting turns it black (3)
EYE – Double definition, the second a cryptic hint.